Glebe Annex Community Association tends to neighbourhood concerns

Despite our bone chilling winter weather, the Glebe Annex Community Association (GACA) elected team is out in the evenings and weekends attending to our neighbourhood concerns.

OMB NEWS

The most eye-catching news recently has been the announcement from the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) suggesting that our city councillors and the planning committee may have overstepped their authority with regard to a major development in Westboro. For details, see a February 21 Ottawa Citizen article, “OMB kills Westboro highrises; blasts city for approving ‘f lawed’ plan.” It could come to pass that, by finally coming out on the side of the residents (with good reason), the OMB may have created a heavier workload for themselves – communities across the province that have thought themselves treated unfairly might be asking the OMB members to review decisions made on specific cases.

We residents of the Glebe Annex are watching these developments closely and still remember the unpopular Council decision on Taggart’s application for the development of 265 Carling Avenue. Perhaps we can take heart that other missteps by this Council could be corrected or reconsidered. The OMB is showing its willingness to take into consideration the opinions of concerned residents in the appeal process.

Rest assured GACA and neighbouring communities are watching, waiting and talking about this, especially as municipal elections approach. How can one think of spring without being reminded that the electioneering process is already beginning? Candidates for next year’s council will be going to the polls in the fall. In the meantime, they will be looking to gain your attention in any way possible. We encourage our residents to meet the candidates, review their positions, share your concerns and take the time to form a learned opinion on who should represent us at city hall in the next term. The GACA is not a political body but an association formed to mirror the needs, aspirations and opinions of our residents.

PARKS COMMITTEE

Our Parks Committee has had positive input as a result of January’s article in the Glebe Report on the state of our only park. Perhaps our children will not have to play on broken and outdated equipment after all. Appropriation of funds for parks is high on our agenda and we hope to have a positive report shortly. Another positive development is that GACA has been approved to “adopt” the Dalhousie South Park. Once this approval is formally signed by City officials, we will henceforth oversee the maintenance and care of our little bit of green. GACA is investigating the possibility of opening a skating rink in the park for 2015. As soon as the snow clears, plans are also in place to begin small improvements to the park. The committee is actively seeking residents to assist in making our community safe, beautiful and user-friendly.

NARROW STREETS

Like many other communities, the Glebe Annex has a number of narrow streets. During winter months this creates some access and visibility issues for both drivers and pedestrians. The GACA is participating in the program operated by the City of Ottawa to identify these narrow streets.

BRONSON AVENUE REDESIGN

Also of note, the City will begin its consultation on the Bronson Avenue redesign this spring. The Bronson Avenue redesign is a priority for the GACA and the board will be seeking significant community input. We strongly encourage community involvement in this process. We look forward to hearing from you with any ideas or feedback about issues facing the Glebe Annex community, which will be provided through our website at http://glebeannex. ca. Please take time to read our current postings on topics of interest to us all. To obtain more information or to express your concerns, contact GACA at info@glebeannex.ca.

Doug Milne, a resident of the Glebe Annex, appreciates the assistance of Iain Wood, acting president of the Glebe Annex Community Association, in preparing this article.